


safe and sound

by lemonparapluie



Category: Little Witch Academia
Genre: F/F, Hurt/Comfort, Nightmares, set after the whole Akko going to bring Diana back thing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-18
Updated: 2019-03-18
Packaged: 2019-11-24 00:25:43
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,347
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18159017
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lemonparapluie/pseuds/lemonparapluie
Summary: Diana's shitty family takes its toll on her and Akko is there to pick up the pieces.





	safe and sound

Diana wakes up gasping for air as images of slit eyes and fork tongues flicker on the back of her eyelids. She nearly screams as she feels something wrapped round her throat until she realises its her own hands, clutching at where she was sure there had just been coils.

She has to _leave._

The one crystal clear thought amongst her blubbering confusion is that she does not feel safe in this house, and so, in somewhat of a frenzy, she throws on a hoodie and air of jeans and _gets the hell out._

 

* * *

 

 

Akko wakes up to the sound of quick footsteps in the hall outside. It takes a minute to come out the amazingly comfortable sleep she was having, in an amazingly comfortable bed, before her brain kick starts and registers how dark it is outside.

_Who would be up at this time of night?_

Anna or one of the other staff, she wonders briefly, but surely they’d have gone to bed by now. Her skin crawls as she thinks of Daryl lurking around in the dark until she remembers that they’d saved her life and she was (sort of) on their side now. Interest now piqued, and too curious to go back to sleep, the witch kicks the covers off and goes to take a quick look.

To her surprise, she opens the door right as Diana Cavendish is walking past.

“Diana?”

At the sound of her name, Diana whips round at lightening speed and as they come face-to-face, Akko can’t quite place the lost expression on her face.

“Akko…” she mumbles, in a way that might suggest she’d forgotten the other girl's entire existence up until this point. Then something clicks and her expression changes to one Akko can recognise.

Dread sets in the pit of her stomach; Diana looks petrified.

“Akko.” She says it again, not like a whisper or a prayer this time, but hushed and urgent. “We have to go.”

“What?” The knot in her gut tightens. “Did something happen?”

Diana grabs a hold of one of her wrists and her grip is like a vice. “It’s not safe here. We have to leave, now.”

“Okay.” Panic flaring, she nods and pulls Diana inside her room. “Let me get my stuff.”

Nothing but blind fear fuels Akko as she rushes across the room making a grab for her belongings. Feeling a lot calmer with a wand in her hand though, she vaguely notes Diana’s lack of one. Or lack of anything really. For someone so insistent on leaving she has no wand, no broom and she definitely doesn’t look as if she’s dressed for going back to Luna Nova.

Where are they going? What’s their plan? And, more importantly, Akko wonders, glancing at the girl with her back slumped against the door, what could have spooked Diana so much?

“Diana,” she calls out, making her way over, “What happened?”

Diana’s head snaps up as she approaches.

“It…there was… s-snakes…” She splutters, breaths uneven.

“Daryl’s snakes?” Akko has to suppress a shiver at the thought of the slimy creatures, but her brow furrows, “Why would Daryl want to do anything to us now? We sorted all that out.”

Diana just shakes her head.

“Different snakes?” As Akko gets closer, she notices the other witches face is a wet mess of tears and snot. She pulls out a handkerchief and hands it over but Diana only clenches it in her fist.

“They… they were everywhere…” There’s a faraway look in her eyes as she mutters to herself. “T-they had you.”

“Me?” Akko’s confusion is increasing tenfold by the minute. “But the snakes never got me Diana; that never happened?”

Diana doesn’t even seem to hear, her grip on the handkerchief tightening.

“You were…they…I c-couldn’t…”

Carefully, Akko unfurls the other girl’s fingers and pries the cloth out of her grasp.

“Hey,” she says softly, trying for her attention, as the pieces begin to click into place. “Do you think…”

She pauses to wipe Diana’s face clean, first underneath her eyes, then her nose. It should be unsettling, disgusting even, to see Diana Cavendish in a state such as this, but Akko finds herself just as captivated with the girl as ever.

“Do you think that maybe,” she starts again, “you’ve had a bad dream?”

Diana blinks at her owlishly for a few seconds – taking in, processing the suggestion – and Akko gently starts guiding them across the room. Just as she’s about to sit them down on the enormous bed, Diana yanks her hands away.

“What does it matter that it was a dream?” She steps back and Akko eyes her uncertainly.

“Uh, yeah sure, I mean I have bad dreams all the –"

“N-no,” Diana interrupts, “It doesn’t matter that it was a dream, because they’re still here. They’re still in the house. _This_ is real.”

Her hands go up to tug at her collar and Akko catches a glimpse of the bruise on her neck. It’s an ugly thing, thick and black so that it looks as if there could still be a dirty great snake around her throat. And it looks so _wrong_ against Diana’s pale skin.

“Diana…” A hand flies to her mouth, but Akko can’t help the gasp that escapes it. “That’s…that’s…”

But the other witch cuts her off again.

“You see, you see? They did this, they’re here. We must go. It isn’t… it isn’t safe here.” The torrent of words stops, and Akko barely has time to register what’s happening as Diana collapses to her knees.

“Diana!” She’s by her side in an instant.

“Akko…” she murmurs in response, arms curling around herself, and Akko has never heard so much pain condensed into just two syllables. “We’re not _safe_ here. Not safe in my own house.”

Akko throws her arms round the other girl, tears pricking in her eyes as she thinks about what her friend must be feeling.

“Not protected or loved by my own family.” She continues quietly, burying her face into the crook Akko’s neck. “How can I still call this my home, Akko?”

Her voice cracks at the end of the question and she sounds so uncharacteristically small. All Akko can manage is to sniffle loudly and sob out reassurances best she can.

“It’s okay, Diana. It’s all gonna be okay, I promise.” Diana lets out a wobbly chuckle into her collarbone.

“How can you possibly make such promises?” It sounds like it could be an accusation, but Akko feels hands grasping lightly at her sides.

“I just can. We’ll fix this, I just know it. I can tell.” She takes a deep breath, swallowing away as many tears as she can, and with more conviction, states; “You’re going to be okay. We’ll sort this out, me and you, I promise.”

She goes to pull away from the embrace; wanting to make eye contact, show Diana that she means it, but the other witch clings onto her, pushing in further as she whispers in response.

“Thank you, Akko.”

Akko lets her stay like that, curled up, shaking softly. And it makes her wonder when the last time anyone had hugged the girl. Anna’s story rings fresh in her mind, and it hurts to think what it would be like to have grow up without a mother or a farther. Who would there have been to pick her up when she fell, hush her when was hurting? Aunt Daryl certainly didn’t seem like the type.

She thinks of what Andrew told her, of a littler Diana, stripped of her magic as Akko had been, but trying and trying anyway. But who was there to pat her head when things didn’t work – as Akko’s farther had to her – or whisper words of encouragement, reassurance – as her own mother had? Akko had a willpower made of steel but even she was unsure as to how many times she would have gotten back on a broomstick of she hadn’t had her parents to patch her up afterwards.

“Oh Diana…” she sighs, unintentionally squeezing her a little tighter. A little whimper escapes the white-haired girl and she twists in Akko’s arms. Akko lets go immediately.

“Woah! Are you okay?” Diana is gripping her sides, wincing a little.

“I’m fine.” Akko raises her eyebrows, disbelievingly, until Diana looks away, sheepishly admitting, “I’m a little sore, it’s nothing serious.”

“Sore?” the other witch parrots, but its more to herself, wondering what that could mean. Something tugs her mind back to the angry marks around her throat, and then to the memory of Diana lying still on the cold stone her, tangled up with Daryl’s snakes, and a fresh wave of tears rushes behind her eyes. She blinks them away. “Let me see.”

Diana hugs herself a little more. “It’s fine, Akko.”

“Let me see them, Diana.” Akko tries to be calm and firm, but she can hear the emotion spilling into her words.

“Akko,” There’s and edge to her voice this time, sharp and warning, “It’s no cause for concern.”

“I _am_ concerned, though.” Akko interjects, “I’m _worried_ , Diana. And I know medicine is your thing, and you’ve probably got all sorted. But I also know you don’t always say if your hurting and you’re always trying to do things on your own and… and I just worry about you, okay?”

Akko doesn’t even realise she’s started bawling until she feels a huge hiccup rip through her throat, and notices Diana staring at her, looking at an absolute loss.

“Okay.” She agrees, stepping forward, arms extending slightly, just reaching out towards Akko but not quite getting near enough to touch her. It reminds Akko of a nervous puppy. “Okay, if it…if it will bring you peace of mind.”

Gingerly, she grabs the bottom of her sweater and begins lifting it. Torso exposed, Akko is subject to the rest of the damage. They aren’t as dark as the ones around her neck, but a faded blue like thick veins winding round her ribs and stomach.

“Is anything broken?” To her surprise, Diana pauses, falters before:

“I don’t think so.” All Akko has ever heard Diana give are definite answers and that was about the furthest thing from definite you could get.

“You mean you haven’t checked?” The other witch shrinks under the scowl directed at her.

“It’s been a long day.” It’s a pathetic excuse for not checking for internal damage, but it’s true nonetheless, and so Akko softens her expression.

Then, all of a sudden, she is her grandma reincarnated; ambushing Diana with pokes and probes and a string of ‘How does this feel?’, ‘does this hurt?’ and ‘what about this?’

By the end of it, Akko is thoroughly satisfied with the state of Diana’s physical well-being, and Diana herself is practically drooping in her arms, eye’s half-closed. The sight brings a strange smile to Akko’s face; not the million-watt grin she’s used to flashing, but something soft and warm and fuzzy.

“Hey ~” She sings, in a moment of bravery, jerking Diana out of her semi-unconsciousness, “Why don’t you stay with me tonight?”

As soon as she says it, she feels her face flush. “I mean, you’re already here, and just in case anything does happen, and we do get attacked again – not that I think we will! – you’ll be right there…to…protect me?” She rambles on, feeling a little silly about the whole suggestion now that she’s under Diana’s very focused and very awake stare. There is an unbearable silence as the other witch contemplating it.

“I suppose I could set up something on the floor.” She hums, nodding in agreement and reaching out towards the top of the bed. Akko nearly yelps as she bats Diana’s arm to a stop before the other girl causes her to (probably) die of mortification by grabbing a pillow and setting up a makeshift bed.

“Nononono! I’m not gonna make you sleep on the _floor_ Diana; not in your own house? No, no,” she continues, gesturing wildly behind her, “There’s plenty of room for the both of us, see? If you’re okay with that – which it’s totally fine if you’re not!”

She backtracks on herself, not really having have thought the whole suggestion through. She hadn’t at all began to consider Diana’s thoughts on sharing a bed with her, when there were probably dozens of others available in the house. Diana isn’t recoiling, or sprinting out the room though, which is a good sign…Akko thinks?

“I’m fine with it.” She mumbles, and…is that a blush Akko can see? Gosh, Diana must still be totally out of it. “As long as you are, that is?”

Akko blinks. “What? Of course I am.” She laughs pulling the other girl towards her, “I wouldn’t have asked if I wasn’t?”

“Right,” she stutters, “Of course.”

Akko almost springs onto the massive mattress, bouncing slightly as she lands. Besides her Diana climbs in with a lot less vigour. Akko wonders whether her tentative movements are because her bruises still ache, or whether she’s just tired.

“Come on,” she whispers, crawling across to drape the huge covers over both of them. “Let’s get some sleep.”

Diana is just half a head peeking over the sheets, slender fingers clutching the edges. Akko leans in a little.

“Diana?”

“Yes Akko.”

“…Are you…” She’s silent for a moment, struggling to put what it is she wants to ask into the right words. “How are you feeling now?”

Akko winces the minute she says it; the question sounding odd and awkward and way too formal. As she looks over though, her eyes fall on a very much asleep Diana. The sight of the other girl burrowed under the covers, chest rising and falling, evokes that warm, fuzzy feeling in Akko again.

There’s so much she needs wants to tell her, wants her to know, and there’s so much she wants to ask and pry about. This, she thinks though, is good enough. Diana by her side, safe and sound a sleep, is enough for now.

 

**Author's Note:**

> Possibly a next chapter for the morning after (not a promise thouggghhh)


End file.
